Articles

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) is seeking a 30 to 50 year license for their Poe Hydroelectric Project on the North Fork Feather River.  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently accepted PG&E’s license application thereby triggering a two environmental review of the application.  Regulatory procedures under the Federal Power Act require that the environmental review of the license application contain a complete factual record for making resource decisions.  To ensure that the record is complete the FERC requested resource

AW is proud to celebrate its 50th anniversary of protecting and restoring America’s rivers.  This special year for AW will be packed with festivities in a variety of forms including a membership appreciation tour. The largest and most essential group of people to thank is each and every one of our generous members.  It is your membership fees that allow AW to carry on its mission and work. Throughout the entire 2004 boating season AW volunteers and staff will be

American Whitewater would like to thank the Kayak and Canoe Club of New York, (KCCNY) for receipt of donations totalling over $1,800 during the past two months. These gifts represent a variety of fundraising efforts including ‘match’ challenges by individual KCCNY members Jane Majeski and Jane Bernstein, in support of the long history and current work going on in the New York / New Jersey region.It was in New York that AW discovered the public’s ability to restore water to rivers that had been dried up (‘dewatered’)

The Senate Energy Committee passed S. 1107 this morning to limit Fee Demo to the Naitonal Parks. The legislation included NO amendments for other agencies such as the Forest Service or the BLM.  This is an enormous victory!Some Senators on the Committee received hundreds – even upwards of a thousand – calls and faxes over the last four days from across the nation.  One office received only FOUR faxes saying “recreation fees are maybe OK!”  It was clear to our Senators

Calling all craft people, collectors, restaurateurs, travel and guide services and retailers!  Do you have a special talent, collection, product or service you would like to showcase at American Whitewater’s 50th Anniversary Gala Event in Vail Colorado?  Have you thought about what more you can do to help protect and restore a resource that is in more and more danger every day?   American Whitewater will be hosting a silent auction preceding dinner at the Gala on June 5th, 2004 at

The National Park Service will be holding another meeting regarding Gauley River Access and other issues.  The meeting is being held on Thursday, February 12th from 7-9 pm, at the Midland Trail High School in Hico, WV.  The NPS has now proposed 3 alternatives on how to improve access to the Gauley and Meadow Rivers and is seeking public comment on the proposed alternatives.If you are interested in paddler access to the Gauley or Meadow rivers please read the most

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is holding a series of scoping   meetings this week in order to hear the public’s concerns and ideas regarding   for small dams in Western North Carolina. These dams are Bryson Dam on the Oconoluftee   River, Dillsboro Dam on the Tuckasegee, Franklin Dam on the Little Tennessee   River, and Mission Dam on the Hiwassee River. If you, as an individual or as   a representative of an organization or business have

American Whitewater and Liquid Logic are cooperatively accepting rent contributions to maintain the $500/month payments for use of the privately-owned parking lot off of Gallimore Road that provides access to the Upper Green and Green River Narrows. If the lot is going to remain open past March 1, the ENTIRE Green River paddling community must pitch in. If our ability to pay the rent falters due to insufficient funds, the parking lot will be locked starting in March and there

Through working with TVA on the Reservoir Operation Study, American Whitewater staff requested that TVA work with the paddling community to develop a method of alerting paddlers to uncontrolled spills in the Hiwassee Dry Gorge.  This Gorge, near the Ocoee and Tellico rarely runs because of TVA’s Appalachia Dam and bypass tunnel which divert the river into a tunnel for the length of the Dries. AW staff recieved a call from the TVA this morning indicating that Appalachia dam would be

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a new 30 year license for the Bear River Projects in southeast Idaho.  PacifiCorp has requested clarification of several inconsistencies in the license, but the balance of the license provisions has already taken effect.   As a result of additional FERC license conditions, recreational whitewater releases in the Class IV (V) Black Canyon section near Grace, ID will be delayed one year.  “Scheduled” whitewater releases are now expected to begin in year 5

When: Saturday, February 7th, 2004 from 3 – 8 PM,   Snow Date is Feb 14th, 2004Where: Saucon Valley High School Auditorium, Hellertown, PA.  For directions,  click here.  For custom Mapquest Directions, enter your origin or start location here.Admission: $6 in Advance, $8 at the Door. Tickets on Sale Dec. 14th at Nestors Sporting Goods and at Blue Mountain Sports in Jim Thorpe and at the Adventure Lodge off 191. Click links for directions.Tickets are also available at Eastern Mountain Sports,

American Whitewater’s Eastern Conservation and Access Director Kevin Colburn was pleased to accept a $1,500 donation from the Tennessee Valley Canoe Club after presenting a short talk on the Ocoee River and other region rivers at a club meeting.  The talk provided AW with a chance to share our recent success on the Upper Ocoee with some of the Ocoee’s biggest fans.  AW would like to thank 2003 TVCC president Tyler Freeman (pictured left), 2004 TVCC president Paul Shoun (pictured right), and

After nearly ten years, the environmental assessment of the proposed dam on the Kettle River near Christina Lake (southern interior of BC) is now in its final stages. All comments must be received by the BC Environmental Assessment office by February 16th, 2004. However, comments sent after that date are still important, so keep sending them. Take Action! Please make your opinion heard and help oppose the project. Check Ryan Durand’s Cascade Canyon of the Kettle River website for additional

The USFS issued a Record of Decision on Tuesday, January 20th 2004 that maintains the ban on paddling the Wild and Scenic Headwaters of the Chattooga River. In doing so the USFS has begun a bad public policy of zoning paddlers away from anglers, based on the absurd assumption that the two uses are incompatible. This policy could ultimately result in both anglers and paddlers losing access to rivers they cherish, but for now the decision simply discriminates against paddlers.

American Whitewater is seeking motivated volunteers with access to the libraries at Washington and Lee University and Virginia Tech. These volunteers are needed to research and organize historical and legal information regarding navigability, water rights, and land ownership in the state of Virginia. This information will be utilized by American Whitewater staff and volunteers in our work on a variety of stream access projects in Virginia. We intend to have a lawyer oversee this coordinated research effort. While a legal

Idaho is proposing a $13 registration fee for non-motorized boats greater than 7 feet in length. Under this registration fee proposal all kayaks and rafts on Idaho waters would be required to have a registration sticker fixed to the bow of each boat greater than 7 feet in length. Stickers would not be transferable between boats. Out of state boaters would be required to comply as well.   The proposal appears to have been initiated in KootenaiCounty in the northern

The Sequoia National Forest filed the revised 4(e) conditions for the Kern River No. 3 Hydropower Project on the Kern River, California.  The section 4(e) conditions have been revised from those filed in 1996 by the Sequoia National Forest to reflect the changes requested in the Settlement Agreement reached between Southern California Edison (SCE), American Whitewater, Friends of the River and other parties in December, 2002.  Issuance of the Forest Service’s revised conditions marks the end of a long legal